My Color, Our Style: Part 2
by Emi Hikari
Summary: Sephiroth and the Silver Haired Men have been defeated, but the Turks still have work to do. However, things aren't coming along as easily as usual for our trio. How will they pull themselves together as they slowly fall apart?
1. I: The little things

I: The little things

Reno had, admittedly, had a very easy childhood, and his overall upbringing could make just about anybody jealous. He was the only child to a set of wealthy parents, and his financial future and education were never in any kind of doubt. To say the last, he had led a very comfortable life up until the end of high school.

After graduating somewhere in the middle of his class (behind Mae, of course, who had graduated early anyway), Reno managed to snag a place at ShinRa as the company began its expansion in Midgar. For the first time in his life, things were suddenly not being handed to him. In fact, he had to work hard to stay in the company, particularly as the events with Cloud and Sephiroth unfolded. But after that, around the time Mae had joined them, Reno's workload lessened, and he easily fell back into his slacker routine.

Somehow, though, the party after their most recent adventure had changed Reno. It didn't make him work any harder because he wanted to; instead he _had_ to. He felt weaker and weaker as time went on. Something had changed in his body, he could tell. The greatest indicator was one night when he, Rude, and Mae got together to drink: normally, he could outlast Mae, but he was down after one can of beer. Had something literally altered his physical makeup after that mission?

He wondered for a while if he had experienced some kind of trauma in the helicopter crash that was finally taking its toll on him. After all, they had fallen from pretty high up, and he was lucky to have not broken anything on the way down. Too lucky, perhaps. He wondered if, instead, he had received some kind of internal damage. While a trip to the doctor's would've answered his question, Reno waited, mostly out of fear.

But another reason he chose to wait was because he hated having people worry about him. He had always been able to handle things on his own growing up, despite being raised in a well-to-do household. Being an only child had taken its toll on his personality, though, and so having anybody with him was "cramping my style, man." It had taken him months to get used to Rude, even.

There was no doubt about it: Reno had had friends in school. But after graduating, everyone had split off into their separate ways, and Reno enjoyed having the solitude again. He was somewhat of a one-man army, relying on nobody but himself, working for nobody but himself. His attitude didn't have any adjustments until he met Rude, and Mae's friendship completed a void that he'd had for a long time.

Reno didn't necessarily value Mae's friendship more than Rude's, but hers had an even more important effect on his personality. When he had befriended Rude, Reno had gained a close friend who was nothing like him. Rude was quiet, and while he enjoyed keeping to himself just like Reno, he usually had to be convinced to go out. At times, Rude was someone Reno could boss around without any real consequences. In return, Rude trusted Reno, even in his worst moments.

However, to Reno, befriending Mae was a lot like befriending himself. As much as they both denied it, they were a lot alike. Had Reno never ended up becoming friends with her, he never would have been able to improve himself. Sometimes, looking at her mistakes and flaws was like looking at his own, and it made him mature, even if he did so slowly. Mae, too, felt the same effects of their friendship.

So, when Reno had gotten sick at the bar, Mae and Rude had helped him, as friends should, but Reno's reaction was less than satisfactory.

"I'm fine, really," he insisted as they led him back outside into the cool night air. It had been nearly five months since the end of their mission, and the night life of Edge had returned to normal.

"If you're going to be spewing, you'd best do it somewhere else," Mae commented, being the closest to sober amongst the trio.

"Or at least someplace you won't embarrass us," Rude added, and Mae nodded in agreement.

"No objections allowed. C'mon, let's get you back to your place."

Reno's pride had been too heavily damaged to fight back, and so he let Mae and Rude lead him back to his apartment. As soon as they arrived, Reno collapsed onto his couch, leaving the others to just stare.

"I wonder what's been going on," Rude said in his usual quiet voice.

"What do you mean by 'been going on'?" Mae asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"This isn't the first time he's gotten sick like this." Mae pursed her lips, humming a low note. "You didn't notice?"

"Dunno. Maybe I didn't want to."

Rude didn't ask; for that, Mae was grateful.

^^vv^^vv^^

It was true, what Rude had said. Reno had been acting off for several months. But he wasn't telling us anything, so what could we do about it? Sure, there was plenty we could do to try to slip that information out of him, but it was his private business. Rude and I are nosy friends, but we know other people have standards, too. I didn't think it was worth fighting over. Not at this point.

"He's not himself," Rude continued, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I guess I can't deny that," I replied. "But what are we gonna do about it? He's already sick enough, so do we need to drag the info out of him?"

"You've gotten nicer," Rude said. I crossed my arms, giving him a look. He acted like I had never been nice to them. What bull.

"And you're not answering my question."

"Well, you're right. He's sick enough."

"So just keep watching him, right?"

Rude didn't answer, so I just assumed he agreed. Assumption is dangerous, but it's safe with Rude. He doesn't like to admit this, but he thinks along the same lines as all of us, no matter how coldly he comes across.

"I've just got a bad feeling about this," Rude then mumbled. I looked over at him again; I wasn't entirely sure that he was serious in saying that.

"What makes you say that?"

"He usually can't keep his mouth shut."

"Then it must really be important, right?"

"Aren't _you_ growing up."

"One of us has to, especially if this kind of stuff keeps up."

Rude smirked, glancing at me over his glasses. My face was probably blank. I was thinking so many things at that point that I felt nearly emotionless.

I was worried, for one thing. Rude was right in saying that Reno had a big mouth, even with his personal problems (though they were occasional). Obviously something was going on if he wasn't telling us something. Even worse was if he himself was denying that there was a problem. That would have spelled out intervention for Rude and me.

I also hated seeing someone close to me suffer, especially physically. It was all just so off.

"I'm gonna head out," I said after a few more minutes of watching Reno in silence. "You know how to get me if something-"

"You're good," Rude said, nodding. He sat down in one of Reno's lounge chairs, putting his feet up. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah."


	2. II: Obvious concealment

II: Obvious concealment

"It's going to be another warm day today, folks, with a high in the fifties. It's a pretty warm fall we've been having, huh? And dry, to say the least. Today marks the third week in a row in which we've had little to no precipitation. What does this say for winter? Tune in-"

Reno shut off the radio in the break room, heaving a sigh. His shift was over for the day, but his lack of energy made it feel like he had another shift to go.

"You headed out soon?"

Turning his head, Reno saw Mae in the doorway, her jacket slung over her shoulder. She had her sunglasses perched on top of her head, a sign that she, too, was leaving soon.

"Yeah, in a sec."

"You doin' any better?"

"Yeah, I think so. I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow, so…"

"Oh, good. That should answer some questions."

Mae glanced at Reno, then looked away. Reno could tell what she was thinking, and he wanted to agree, but agreeing would make it even more true, and that wasn't what he wanted. He wanted to get an answer, feel better, and get on with his life.

But the strange discoloration on his wrist hadn't gotten any better; if anything, it had worsened over the past few months. The color had deepened and started to spread a little, but not enough that he couldn't cover it all with his sleeve and watch. Still, the correlation between that and his illness was undeniable. At this point, it would just take a doctor's diagnosis to confirm exactly what was going on.

"…Let's go," Mae said, abruptly breaking the silence. Swinging her keys impatiently, she waited for Reno to grab his things. The two of them then strolled down the hallway and down the stairs to the parking garage. Neither of them drove a car to work; motorbikes were the more popular way to travel these days, anyway.

"Lemme know what happens tomorrow with the doc, all right?" Mae said, pulling on her gloves as she stopped at her bike. Reno nodded, trying to seem convincing.

"Will do. See you later," he replied, beginning to walk away.

"HEY!"

Reno whipped himself around, startled.

"You'd better be honest with me!" she shouted after him, her voice echoing in the large garage.

"Yeah, yeah…"

What would have seemed half-hearted to anyone else made sense to Mae, and she grinned, feeling reassured. However, her reaction was only proof that Reno's use of reverse psychology had worked.

^^vv^^vv^^

Even though Reno had avoided me and Rude for a while and pretended like nothing was wrong, I knew something bad was about to happen. But when he had answered me in the parking garage, I felt reassured. Either he was going to tell us, or we'd come to find out eventually anyway: Reno is notorious for letting his lips flap, if you know what I mean.

So when I drove home that evening, I was feeling pretty relaxed. I mean, I figured that even if he _didn't_ tell me, he'd let it slip to Rude or even Rufus, and I'd find out something anyway. Or, if it really came down to it, Rude and I would just bust in some night and beat the answer out of him. Or call his mom. Or something.

When I got home, I texted Rude, told him to tell me if Reno told him anything important. He agreed, and told me the same. I didn't feel guilty-there was no way I was even guilty of anything except worrying.

Usually, people getting sick is just whatever, a thing in life, something inevitable. The degree of Reno's illness, though, was to the point where it was affecting his life. Noticeably so. He didn't even have the energy to torment co-workers anymore; that was really disconcerting.

But he had a doctor's appointment, and as long as he actually went, we'd find out eventually. I told myself that, and later that night I fell asleep with ease. For some reason, I trusted him.

^^vv^^vv^^

Even though it was just his usual doctor, Reno felt extremely out of place in the waiting room. He had admittedly always felt different than everyone else-mostly due to his own ego, but also because of his appearance. The ponytail wasn't going to go, though, nor would he ever dye his hair. It never really bothered him that much anyway, except in cases where he was surrounded by strangers.

Waiting in the doctor's office was one of those cases. Almost everyone around him was older than him. Some of them were probably just there for a routine check-up, but there were a few people who obviously had something wrong with them. One woman kept coughing every few seconds, and the grating noise made Reno even more irritable.

The doctor took him in five minutes early, which was not nearly soon enough. Still, the actual diagnosis didn't take long at all, and within twenty minutes, Reno was on his way, informed but no less at ease than when he started.

As he had feared, the assumptions he had made from the start were entirely correct: somehow, he had contracted Geostigma. It wasn't entirely impossible, since he had been exposed to it enough times. The disease had had plenty of chances to take root, and so it did.

To say the least, Reno was not optimistic. The doctors had no answers about a cure yet; how all those children were cured earlier in the year was still a scientific mystery. He would need a miracle of his own to work out.

As he mounted his motorbike, Reno pulled out his cell phone to call Rude. Something stopped him, though. Here he was, about to break horrible news to one of the few people he trusted. Rude was always there for him, and Reno appreciated that. But this time, Rude wouldn't be able to do anything about it.

Mae, too, was powerless. Reno feared telling her even more, simply because of her reaction. He rarely saw her worried, and it was never about anybody-just about things in general. As her friend, he did _not_ want to be the source of trouble for her, or for Rude, or for anyone else. This was his problem; he would have to treat it as such.

Reno pocketed his phone, then climbed onto his bike. A few moments later and he was on his way home, his head still reeling.

^^vv^^vv^^

Admittedly, regrettably, I awaited a call or text from Reno that whole afternoon. I checked my phone often, sometimes literally only seconds between. I was worried, and more importantly I was tired of being worried, so I guess I was just waiting for that peace of mind. It didn't come until that night, as I was half-passed out on my futon.

It was just a text, but I was so happy about it that I could have shouted about it. He said that it was just exhaustion, and that the main thing he really needed to do was rest and take better care of himself. Sounded fair enough. I was actually a little jealous. Less to do, less to have to do. What a deal.

Just to be sure, and because I am a sneaky and nosy friend, I texted Rude for his end of the story. When I found that it matched mine, I sent a reply text to both guys and flopped back on the futon. From what I was told, things were not as complicated as they seemed.

The next day at work, Reno was there. He didn't look any better.

"What time d'you crash last night?" I asked him.

"Eleven o'clock, Mom," he replied, impatience in his answer.

"Don't call me that," I snapped back.

"Cut it out, you two," Rude said with enough authority in his voice to make us pull back the reins. "You're supposed to be taking it easy, Reno. Mae, you're not helping."

"It's all right, Rude," Reno said suddenly, waving his hand. "It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't matter?" Rude echoed.

"So you wanna stay like this or something?" I asked. I was starting to get pissed. He had complained, and now he'd found his answer. But he wasn't going to do anything about it? Maybe he had no idea, but he was causing problems for me and Rude, too.

"No, that's not what I meant. I just…whatever."

Without another word, Reno stormed out of the break room, leaving me and Rude in stunned silence. Reno rarely did that. Either he was really pissed, or something was wrong.

"Guys, what's going on?"

Just then, Elena poked her head into the room. Her eyes seemed wider than usual, probably a sign of her nosiness. Not that I can talk.

"Reno just stomped down the hallway practically!" she exclaimed, walking into the room. "What'd you guys do?"

"Nothing!" I said quickly. Rude was quick to step in.

"He's not doing well." Ah, Rude. Always so much more eloquent than me. "He went to the doctor yesterday, but he's not following the orders."

"When does he follow orders?" Elena asked, tilting her head. I grinned.

"You have a very valid point, my friend."  
"It doesn't matter," Rude interrupted. "I don't know about this."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"…Forget I said anything."

"Now don't you start, too…"

"Well, fine." Rude looked at Elena, then at me. "He might be lying."

"Who, Reno?"

"That would be nothing new," Elena admitted with a crooked grin.

"Yeah, that's true, but lying would mean he's got something to hide." I looked back at Rude, who raised an eyebrow. "You don't think that's the case, do you?"

"Unfortunately, only time will tell," he replied, standing from his chair.

Frowning, I did the same. Lying about his health? Unusual. Very much so. And that meant he would probably have something worth hiding. But what?

In order to keep myself from jumping to stupid conclusions, I just followed Rude and Elena out of the room and down the hallway for another day at work.


	3. III: The truth that sits like a lie

III: The truth that sits like a lie

The thought that Reno might be lying to us really never occurred to me until Rude had said something that day. From then on, my suspicions grew, and the little evidence I had pointed right to it. Reno was definitely hiding something.

None of us were ballsy enough to confront him, though. After all, what would that gain? If anything, he'd only hide more. In order to extract the truth, we'd have to be sneaky about it.

Rude and I waited for a lot of opportunities that never actually came. Even Elena tried her best, but the more we waited, the more it seemed like confrontation was inevitable.

There was one last hope in all of this: Rufus. After all the waiting we did, we came to the following conclusion: if Reno's health problem was serious enough, it would affect his work performance. Rufus would notice that, and there would likely be a discussion between the two of them. After all, Reno's schedule might change if he just physically couldn't handle his old jobs. And while Rufus was by no means a blabbermouth, if we asked in the right way, he'd let something slip. We hoped it would be enough of a hint to figure out the truth.

Rude and I decided to go in together, to show that we were serious. When we walked in, we saw Rufus with his hands folded on top of his desk, like he was waiting for us.

"I've been waiting for you," he said. Fancy that.

"Why?" I asked, cutting straight to the point.

"It's been a while since we've done anything fun."

Rude and I looked at each other, then back at the boss.

"Go on," Rude said.

"We're going to have a party next week. Friday night. My place. Eight-thirty. Don't be late."

Again, Rude and I exchanged puzzled looks, then something clicked and I nodded. Rude narrowed his eyes, and so I pulled him aside.

"If we all get together, maybe Reno will get distracted and let something slip," I murmured. Rude paused in thought, then nodded in agreement. "We'll give him a drink, and then see how it goes."

"Good luck," Rufus said suddenly. The two of us whipped around, and after a moment, I nodded again. He knew after all.

^^vv^^vv^^

"No."

"Please?"

"I said no."

Reno looked over to see Mae's ice-blue eyes piercing his, pleadingly.

"Don't make that face," he added, furrowing his eyebrows.

"Look, _you're_ the one who said you needed to relax more often," Mae insisted. "This is the perfect chance. Come hang out with us. It's at _Rufus_' place. C'mon."

"…"

Reno was almost at the breaking point. Both Mae and Elena had spent the entire day at work pestering him about a party at Rufus' that following Friday night. Any other time, he would've gone in a heartbeat, even without being invited. But his health was, unfortunately, something he _had_ to take into consideration.

"If I say I'll go, will you leave me alone?" he asked, sighing.

"Yeah, but if you bail, I'll never let you live it down."

Out of the corner of his eyes, Reno saw Mae grin, and he sighed, defeated. He figured he could at least stop by for a little while, and as long as he didn't stay too long, he would be fine.

"That's fine," Mae said quickly after he explained this to her. "Deal's a deal. We'll leave you alone now."

Releasing his arm, Mae smiled triumphantly and waltzed out of the break room. Reno shook his head, wondering what he had really just agreed to. Though he had his own ideas, with Mae involved, the plan was likely to change.

^^vv^^vv^^

Friday night came sooner than I had expected, but I was all right with that. I usually don't wish away the week, but probing for the truth came on the top of my priority list. In fact, it probably topped Rude's as well. If he even has one.

Regardless, Friday morning gave us all a scare when Reno didn't come in to work on time. Even Rufus was a little concerned. In order to meet up with the doctor's orders, Reno's shifts had been shortened, so I usually came in before him anyway. So when he didn't show up at his usual time, we all began to wonder.

He strolled in almost an hour late, having only overslept. Beautiful.

The rest of the day went without a hitch. I barely saw Reno the whole day, which gave me more of an excuse to bug him that night. He was, of course, the last one to show up to Rufus' place, and I think he might have been the first to leave, but I'm not to that part yet.

Usually, Reno came in and everyone noticed, because either he was causing an uproar or surrounded by people. But no one saw him come in at all that night. I knew that he wouldn't back down from a challenge, though, so I kept searching. I don't know how I found him alone-or why, considering he rarely was ever without company. Call it fate, or luck, or whatever. All that matters is that I found him out on Rufus' balcony several hours after I had arrived.

"Since when are _you_ a stargazer?" I asked, poking my head through the door. Reno's only reply was a look of irritation thrown at me from over his shoulder. Had he replied any other way, I might have left him alone. But his silence added flames to my already burning suspicions.

"Seriously, whatcha doin' out here?" I shut the door behind me and walked over to him.

"Doing what you told me to," he answered. I couldn't help but snort out a laugh.

"Yeah, well, by the way, normally when one goes to a party, one is supposed to mingle and enjoy oneself."

"Easier said than done."

"Oh really? You listen to your doctor before your best friends now, huh?" Leaning on the railing, I tried to get a good look at his face. The shadows of the night left me hanging.

"It's not like that," he insisted.

"So there's another reason you've been avoiding Rude and me like the plague."

"I haven't been."

"But you're getting defensive."

"I-…whatever."

Whipping himself around, Reno started to walk off. Instinctively, I reached out and grabbed his wrist.

"Wait."

"To my surprise, Reno not only stopped, he also let out a small gasp, as if I had just pricked him with a needle or something. My eyes followed my own arm down to his wrist.

"Did…that hurt?" I asked quietly. It just seemed off, the reaction was out of place.

"Let go," he commanded.

"Answer my question first."

"…Yeah, it hurt."

I released his wrist, and he wrenched it away, trying to seem like it was all right. But I knew better. It was only then that I noticed he was wearing long sleeves and white, fingerless gloves. Usually, even sometimes at work, his sleeves were rolled up. It was chilly that night, but not _that_ bad. Not enough to warrant the change in dress.

"I barely even touched you," I said, raising an eyebrow. "Did you get hurt or something?"

"No, it's nothing. You grabbed me harder than your realize," he argued. I might've been convinced, but he was being particularly defensive-more than usual-and that was just one of the multitude of unusual behaviors he'd been exhibiting. I knew that if I were to find out what was going on, I'd have to pick and choose my actions and words carefully.

"…Whatever," I said in a grunt, playing along. If he could be sneaky, so could I. And I knew I could do it _better_.

The moment Reno turned to leave again, I grabbed his other wrist. The reaction was strikingly different.

"I'm gonna knock your face back if you don't let me go, Mae," he snarled. There were no signs of pain or surprise this time. "I'm not joking."

"Neither am I."

Though his strike came quickly, I expected it, and in the end I was faster. The second I clenched his other wrist, he let out a shout of pain and surprise that he couldn't have held back. But what really heightened my sense of fear was when I noticed his gloves weren't gloves-there was some kind of wrap, and he was only wearing it on the bad wrist.

Without a second thought, I pushed his wrap and sleeve back. When I finally saw what he had been hiding, the only thing I could do was release my grip.

"…So, you weren't planning on telling us you have a life-threatening disease, were you?"

"No. I wasn't."


	4. IV: Burning bridges

IV: Burning bridges

As much as he wanted to look away, Reno couldn't shake Mae's gaze, fueled by her ice blue eyes. In one moment, his secret had slipped. He had been careful up until that one moment, but the moment had passed, and there was nothing he could do.

Thankfully, Mae was the first to break eye contact anyway; in fact, she practically ripped her eyes away.

"…How?" she murmured, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I-"

"How could you be such a _coward_?" Mae's shout seemed to echo in the night air. "So what are we to you, then? Because I'm pretty sure friends _tell_ each other _important_ stuff, especially regarding things that can _kill_ you!"

"Mae-"

"To hell with you!" She took a full step back from Reno, who had tried to reach for her shoulder. Her eyes were locked on him again, and this time they were practically on fire. "To _hell_ with you, a hundred times over!" I can't even _look_ at you, or I might just-"

Mae's sentence was cut off by another figure entering the balcony.

"I could hear you from upstairs," Rude said, coming into view. "What's going on?"

"Rude," Reno began.

"HE'S A FUCKING LIAR!" Mae screeched, her voice cracking from strain. "Don't listen to a thing he tells you!"

Normally, Rude would've ignored this behavior from any other female, even Elena; but Mae never acted hysterical or upset unless the situation called for it. Though she panicked occasionally, her mood never went past that unless it was needed.

"Look at THIS!" she shouted, grabbing Reno's wrist again.

"Mae, stop!" Reno snapped, but she had already ripped off the bandages, casting them to the stone floor. As soon as he saw the stigma, and how far it had already spread, Rude looked at Reno for an explanation. He knew there had to be one. But with Mae in the state that she was, there was no way Reno would say it there.

"Let's go," Rude said to the red-head, who squirmed out of Mae's shaking hands.

^^vv^^vv^^

I was so furious, the most that I had ever been in my life. Leave it to Reno to be the only person who can still piss me off that much. He's the only one who can make me so mad that I literally can't see straight. That night, I was definitely at that point. Beyond that comes insanity, I believe.

I must've stood on that balcony for a couple of hours, fuming by myself. That's usually what works. And it did this time, too, because the source of my rage was gone. But after my anger subsided, happiness was nowhere to be found. Reality decided to smack me around instead.

I didn't cry; that takes a special kind of emotion for me. I was beyond crying, anyway. There was a strange kind of energy in me at that point, as if I was in an adrenaline rush I couldn't get out of. Which is possible, I guess. But more than anything, I felt like running. Even if it were aimlessly so.

I didn't run, though. Instead, after cooling off, I sucked it up and left the party like nothing had happened. Rufus didn't say anything about Reno or Rude, which I was grateful for. But I figured he knew. In fact, he probably knew before Rude and I did. The thought of that only made my rage start to come back, so I dropped it for another time. I still had too much energy.

Even though it was in the wee hours of the morning by this point, I rode my bike to my apartment complex and headed straight to the gym. For some reason, things like that are open all the time around Edge, but I kinda like it. It's nice: no one asks you questions, they just let you do what you need to do and be done with it. That was what I needed.

Getting dressed that night, I had chosen the most casual clothes possible, which are gym clothes. So maybe I knew all along that I would end up down in the basement, ripping my fists into that leather bag for a few hours. Literally, it took me almost three hours to calm down and wear myself out. My knuckles were burning and red; I knew I would be sorry in a few hours, but I didn't care. If I wasn't allowed to beat the shit out of my friend, the punching bag would have to do. And it takes a lot more hits to be satisfied using _that_ thing instead of a human being. And yes, I do know this from experience.

The next morning I woke up at the last possible moment for it to be morning, and at first I remembered nothing of the previous night. My dreams had been blank. But when I sat up on my couch, the memories came back, and the rage started to build up again.

"That idiot," I grumbled to myself, standing up quickly. "What makes him think he's too good for us? Better than us? He couldn't even tell the truth."

It was my day off, I didn't want to even _think_ about that worm. But I couldn't help it. All I could think about was how he was going to die, and how I couldn't do anything about it, and how I would have to see him every single day beforehand, whether I wanted to or not.

I needed an escape. I needed to get as far away from him as possible. But I couldn't think of any ways to do so. And so the next day, I trudged into work, just like always, and Reno and Rude were in the break room together, just like always. I tried to avoid them that day, and it worked, but I didn't know how long I would actually be able to keep that up.

^^vv^^vv^^

It wasn't until Tuesday morning that Mae's cover was blown. She had been trying her hardest to avoid any contact with Reno or even Rude, but that morning, she and Rude were paired for a training session, and she could no longer pretend.

"Are you going to stay like this forever?" Rude asked her as they walked down several flights of stairs to the training facility.

"Stay like what?" she said gruffly.

"Silent."

Mae snorted. "If I talk, I'll just say more of what I don't want to say and what nobody else wants to hear."

"Just because you don't want to doesn't mean you don't need to."

"Since when are you so wise?" she snapped, then recoiled. He was, after all, just trying to help. "Well…whatever. What did he tell you?"

"It's terminal," Rude replied, and Mae's face visibly tightened. "The doctor told him he has around a year to live. They haven't found a solid cure yet."

"But those people…"

Rude waited for Mae to gather her thoughts.

"Those people earlier, they were healed. Like Cloud, and that one kid-Denzel, right? And even the boss. They were healed. Why is _his_ case different?"

"Do _you_ know exactly what healed them?" Rude shook his head. "It rained that day, and that's what cured Rufus. But it's rained since then, and nothing special has happened."

"But…" Mae sighed. "Never mind, I guess you have a point. I just…"

"I know."

"I hate having to see his sorry face every day," she hissed as they entered the training center. "Why the hell didn't he tell us sooner!"

"What could we have done differently? Worried longer?"

"Not true! We have research centers! We have scientists! Don't we have people who can figure that kind of stuff out?" Mae punched the wall next to her as Rude started typing in his code into the registration kiosk. "Selfish punk."

"Get over it, Mae."

^^vv^^vv^^

Rude is the only person in the world who is allowed to tell me that, especially so bluntly. Get over it? I couldn't. How could I, when I had to see his lying face every day until he died? I told Rude that.

"Any trust I had with him is gone," I said, "completely gone."

"So you're giving up, too. How does that make you any better than him?"

"I'm not giving up. I'm letting go. There's a difference."

"Then how do you plan on letting go? If it's like you said, you'll see him all the time anyway."

I didn't answer at first. Y'see, there had been an idea swirling around in my head since the day after the party. I didn't want to have to resort to it, since it would be a pain in the ass, but anything was better than dealing with the same pain over and over.

"I'm…still thinking that part through," I finally replied.

I could tell by the look on Rude's face that he suspected something, but he knew better than to ask, and so I kept the idea to myself for another week. Rufus was the first person I told, and for a while, I wanted him to be the only person who knew.


	5. V: To the people in the middle

V: To the people in the middle, I'm sorry

Rufus had honestly been expecting Mae to come to his office at some point. He was, however, surprised at how long it took her, and he was also surprised at what she had to say. It seemed that, somehow, she was always surpassing his expectations.

When she came, it was also unexpectedly so. At one moment, the door to his office swung open and shut soundly. No one had made appointments that day, so Rufus whirled around in shock. The surprise faded into relief upon seeing Mae standing in front of the door, waiting to be addressed.

"I know I'm unexpected," she said in a solid voice.

"Not entirely," Rufus told her with a half-smile. "Well, sit down."

"I never know what you're thinking with that kind of face," Mae grumbled.

"I guess we're even. I never know what you're thinking, period."

Mae smirked, then sat back in the chair.

"I'd like to make a deal with you, if possible, sir," she began. "Regarding information you might have been given about-"

"If this is about Reno, speak casually," Rufus interrupted. Surprised, Mae paused for a minute, then leaned forward.

"I know Reno told you more than what I found out from him about his Geostigma," Mae said in a low voice. "Tell me what's going on."

"Why should I? Why can't you just ask him yourself?"

"Please, really? You realize who I'm dealing with here, right?"

"Of course, and I also realize who I'm dealing with right now."

"Very funny."

"Well, let's say I _do_ tell you," Rufus said, leaning back in his chair. "What's in it for me?"

"If you don't tell me, I'll walk right now."

"Walk? As in, you'll quit?" Rufus started to laugh, but when he saw how serious Mae's face was, he held it back. "Interesting."

^^vv^^vv^^

As much as I hated to drag one more person into my problems, it couldn't be helped. After all, Rufus already knew-even though he hadn't actually admitted it yet. But I could tell. He's not as opaque as he thinks he is.

"So, are you going to tell me? I already know he's got the stigma," I said, "and I already know it's terminal. But I would bet you know a little more than that, am I right?"

"You are, but not by much." Rufus put a foot up on his desk. It was a little weird to see him that casual at work. "Reno wanted to resign. I told him not to, that he might as well work to pass what little time he has left. He asked if I knew the cure. I told him about that time it rained, but even I don't totally understand that. He asked me if I'd look into it."

"…And?"

"Well, I'm _still_ looking into it."

"Meaning you haven't started yet."

"Barely."

Gritting my teeth, I looked away.

"Why does all of this concern you, anyway, Mae?" Rufus asked me. "Since when do you get into other people's personal matters?"

"Since it involves my best friends, that's when!" I snapped. Rufus seemed half-amused by that response. "That punk…he didn't say a word to me or Rude about it, until I found out on my own. He wasn't _going_ to tell us, either. That kind of thing…"

"Wouldn't you have done the same, though? If you had been in his position?"

"I would've at least told my best friends!" I insisted. Rufus laughed, waving his hand at me.

"Calm down, all right. I get it. You're pissed, and with good reason, I suppose." Rufus leaned forward, taking his foot down off his desk. "But I told you what you wanted to know, so what do I get out of all of this drama?"

"How about alleviation from it?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"I'm putting in my two weeks' notice, Rufus."

^^vv^^vv^^

Rufus raised an eyebrow at Mae's response. Though her eyes were mixed with emotions, she seemed serious.

"Why?" he asked, leaning forward and propping his elbows up on his desk.

"Because I can't stand it here anymore," she said quietly.

"So you're quitting."

"You can replace me."

"That's not my concern right now." Rufus paused, choosing his words carefully before continuing. "You're running from something you can't control, simply because you can't control it. How does that make you any better than Reno?"

"It doesn't, and I never said it did," she replied briskly. "But it's not a matter of who's better anymore. I can't stand being near that cretin. It's like school all over again."

Rufus didn't know what she meant, but he didn't ask. It wasn't important enough of a diversion, and he understood what she meant, anyway.

"And it'll never get any better if I just stay here, so this is obviously where I take my leave," she finished.

"Mae…" Rufus didn't bother finishing his sentence; he knew it would be lost on deaf ears. Instead, he only sighed, shaking his head.

"What's that kind of reaction for, huh?" she said, crossing her arms.

"I think you already know, but I won't bother elaborating. If your mind is made up, it's made up."

"I'm glad you understand that." Mae stood, straightening out her suit jacket. "If there's anything you want me to take care of in these next two weeks, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I won't, don't worry."

Mae smiled, but it was half-heartedly, and barely even that. But either way, she turned and walked out of his office, only to find Reno standing there.

^^vv^^vv^^

_That S.O.B. knew he'd be waiting after me_, I thought upon seeing Reno. _I was totally tricked._

Well, it didn't matter anymore. Finally, I had found a way to get away from Reno and avoid his problems altogether.

"What…were you doing with Rufus?" Reno asked, trying to sound as if nothing was different. I didn't feel like playing that kind of childish game, but I figured there was no harm in answering his question in the most basic way possible.

"Talking," I replied, and I started to walk away. But Reno spoke again, and what he said made me stop in my tracks.

"I heard…two weeks…?" He started to speak again, but I cut him off.

"What does it matter to you?" I said.

"So you really are quitting?" There was no point in denying it, so I nodded. "…Why? Just like that? What will you do for-"

"Again, what does it matter to you? You couldn't treat me like a friend before, so why are you being different now?"

"Quit acting like you're better than me or something!"

"Then quit acting like you've done nothing wrong!"

"I _know _I was wrong, all right? I've been trying to apologize to you, but you keep acting like this, and you make it impossible! Rude talks to me, so why are you so different? Didn't I do the same thing to both of you?"

"It doesn't even matter anymore!" He was right, but I never would have admitted to that at that time. "That time in our lives is over, and at this point, I can't even stand to see your face anymore! You lied, and it's pointless to forgive you because you're just going to cause more pain in the end! That's _all_ you've ever done in my life!" I clenched my fists. "You just make me mad, you cause pain, you're careless! I wish I could be like that, but unfortunately, I have a conscience, unlike you!"

He might have had something else to say, but at that point, I didn't care. I didn't want to hear it, and no matter what kind of argument he was going to put up, I wasn't going to stick around any longer. And so began the longest two weeks of my life.


	6. VI: Adulthood is defined by compromises

VI: Adulthood is defined by compromises

"You just let her walk?"

Rufus' face showed no emotion as he turned to Reno.

"And hello to you, too. Tell me how I was supposed to stop her. She's more stubborn than you are."

"_That _I believe." Reno couldn't help but let a crooked smile slip. "But, seriously, what does she think she's gonna do?"

"What do you mean?"

"For a job. It's not like many places around here match the pay her job is at right now."

"That's a good point," Rufus said, putting a hand to his chin. _Perhaps I'm paying them all too much?_ "That aside, if she's interested, I might be able to transfer her to an outlet location, somewhere out of Edge. We've got room at Fort Condor, that's for certain."

_'That aside'? _ "She might spring for that," Reno replied, nodding. In recent days, Fort Condor had fallen under the control of ShinRa, now that the company was being more careful and less harmful to the Lifestream.

"Why don't you go tell her?"

"Why me?"

"You're the one with the rocky relationship, right? Do something good for her and she might just forgive you."

Reno considered this for a moment. He hadn't meant to hurt her like this, and though he thought she was overreacting a bit, he still felt guilty.

"It's worth a shot, I guess," he decided.

With a quick word of thanks and farewell to Rufus, the red-head burst out of the office and ran all the way down to the parking garage. He hadn't expected to find Mae there; he figured she would already be gone. But there she was, smoking a cigarette, leaning on her bike. She rarely smoked, only when she was extremely stressed or at one of their get-togethers.

_We…haven't done that in a long time,_ Reno realized, frowning.

Mae seemed to notice him approaching her, and she threw her cigarette butt down, smashing it with her boot. The reaction startled Reno, but he kept walking forward.

"Hey!" he shouted as she began to mount her bike.

"What more do you want from me?" she asked loudly, not facing him. Her voice echoed off of the wall in front of her and back to Reno, maintaining its irritated tone all the while. "Haven't you done enough damage to me today?"

"Rufus told me to tell you-"

"Tell him to come tell me himself," Mae interrupted.

"Look, will ya just listen for a second?" Reno's voice matched Mae's tone, and the anger alone made her listen. "Rufus said he might be able to find you a transfer position instead of just flat-out quitting. You'd be out of Edge but doing work and still getting paid well. Rufus mentioned Fort Condor, which isn't that bad of a move. If he can pull it together, would you consider it?"

^^vv^^vv^^

At first, I hesitated to answer, but in reality, I had made my decision the moment he presented the suggestion. If I were to be transferred out of Edge, I could move away. How much easier could it get? I could move and not ever have to see any of them again. I would be able to start over, completely new, save for the possibility of occasional contact from Rufus. Fort Condor wouldn't be as exciting, granted, but it'd be far away.

"I… I would be willing to do that, yes," I replied, trying to control my voice, keeping it emotionless. I didn't want him to be able to read me. If I wasn't allowed to read him, he wasn't allowed to read me.

"All right, I'll tell him," Reno said.

"Don't bother," I interrupted. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."

I didn't look directly at him, but in the reflection from my side-view mirror, I saw him nod. When he began to walk away, I thought about thanking him, but something stopped me. Probably just my pride.

Driving home, I began to realize all the benefits moving away would have: a new apartment, cheaper rent, great pay, new people, getting away from Reno. I would miss Rude and Elena, even Rufus and Tseng, but I had to get away. Being near that guy was sucking the life out of me, as if I were the one getting sick.

_What if I _am_ getting sick_? I wondered, shuddering as I parked my bike. _No, don't worry about that. You just went to the doctor._

I felt exhausted when I got back to my apartment, but despite that, I started to clean. Already I was anticipating my move; it hadn't been guaranteed yet, but surely things would work out. I began to wonder if I somehow didn't get the transfer spot, if I should move anyway. The answer seemed to be a blatant and resounding _yes_. There was nothing left for me in Edge that I couldn't find or replace in another place.

^^vv^^vv^^

"You're absolutely sure he's the one?"

"Positive." The blonde stared her boss down, her dark eyes glimmering with confidence. "The others pooled their research together, and they all came to the same conclusion. He's been in their book for several years now. It has to be him."

His green eyes glowing with excitement, the boss turned away. Was it really this simple? How pathetic.

"I'm glad. But you realize, one mistake, and this organization is finished. In size, there is just no way to compare."

"But what we don't have in size, we can recover with efficiency," the blonde insisted, smiling.

"A very good point, m'dear." The blonde smiled brightly, only boosting the boss' excitement and confidence. "You'll do your best on this mission, I assume?"

"Of course. It shouldn't be hard." She let out an airy laugh. "Not only is he successful, he's attractive, which makes it all the more fun for me!"

The boss' smile slowly faded as a wave of jealousy swept over him.

"Just don't forget where you really belong," he told her quietly. She nodded, giving him a sympathetic smile.

"I'll listen to you, always. Just say the word."

Sighing, the boss nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, you'd better get to work on that application. I hear they're hiring."

^^vv^^vv^^

"Is…it true?"

Elena was standing in the doorway of the break room, right before I went to check in. It had been a few days since I had turned in my resignation, and as far as we knew, the transfer to Fort Condor was going to work out after all. I hadn't told anyone but Rude, but gradually, people were figuring it out.

"You're transferring to Fort Condor, that's what I heard," Elena said, not bothering to hide her disappointment. I smiled sadly.

"I hope you don't think I'm ungrateful for leaving a job you helped hook me up with," I told her. She shook her head, letting out a chuckle.

"No, not at all. People come and go, that's life." She shrugged, but half-heartedly so. "I just I'm just curious as to why. It has to do with Reno, doesn't it?"

"That's definitely a part of it, yeah," I admitted. "But honestly, I'm pretty excited about starting over."

"You make it sound like you're abandoning us."

"Not intentionally."

"Well…" Elena laughed, but her voice was sad. "I guess everyone needs that opportunity to discover who they are and their truest feelings."

_'Truest feelings,' huh?_ "That might be true."

Elena's smile brightened. "I hope you know, I'm not saying these things because I doubt you, but I'm going to miss you."

"Rude and Tseng will still be here," I pointed out. "You won't be alone."

"Yeah, that's true."

I smiled, but inside, I felt awful. I was totally right in saying that she wouldn't be alone, because one of the reasons I wanted to get away was so that I could be alone. All this time, I had been relying on my friends to keep me happy, but I had no idea what _actually_ made me happy when I was on my own. I needed to find out, otherwise I would be enveloped in a dream that would one day have to end. For a brief moment, I wondered if Cloud had thought these kinds of things after Aeris and Zack had died. Was it normal to deal with grief in this way?


	7. VII: Finally, running, and running fast

VII: Finally, running, and running fast

More than anything in the world, Reno hated feeling helpless. Things that were beyond his control irritated him. He had that kind of feeling when he found out he was diseased, but the feeling was intensified Mae's last day. Though he knew it wasn't entirely his fault (if at all), he felt responsible.

"I feel like I'm just letting her run," he admitted to Rude.

"Maybe that's what she needs," his friend replied quietly.

"If so, where does that put us?"

Rude shook his head; he didn't have the answer to that question, either. Mae's mind was totally made up, that much was clear.

"Should we go say goodbye?" Reno wondered, more to himself than to Rude.

"If she wants to, she'll come to us," Rude replied. Though he sounded confident, there was also a bit of bitterness coloring his tone. He, too, was upset that she was leaving. But it wasn't just the act of leaving that upset him-she was running from her problems. This, too, was something she could not control, and instead of facing it, she was running, and consciously so. It was admittedly disappointing.

"Since when does everything have to go her way?"

"By all means, let me know if you have another plan."

Reno sighed loudly, obviously frustrated. He had never meant for it to end like this, but they had pushed each other away. It seemed to be too late to do anything to change it.

"She's leaving soon," Elena said, poking her head into the break room. "Won't you guys say goodbye?"

"Would she even let me if I tried?" Reno pointed out. Elena shrugged. "Even _you_ don't know?"

"I can't read her. Are you kidding me?"

"I believe it," Rude said quietly.

^^vv^^vv^^

_I don't regret a thing_, I thought as I looked back up at the ShinRa office building. I'd had a lot of good times there. That was kind of part of the reason I was leaving-in order to preserve the good memories, and in order to not let bad ones come in even more.

I wondered for a while if it was a good idea to say goodbye to them. Honestly, I wanted to say goodbye to all of them, except Reno; but because I didn't want to talk to Reno, I was afraid if I left him out, there would be hard feelings from the others, particularly Rude. I didn't want it to end like that.

I had forgiven Reno for lying, but I didn't want to talk to him. What was the point? He was just going to die soon, and that was something I knew I wouldn't ever get used to. I preferred the option of forcing reality on myself now than waiting until I was already emotionally unstable.

Peeling the permit tag off of my bike, I tossed it onto the parking garage floor and hopped on. The low roar of the motor echoed in the parking garage, and slowly I pulled out onto the street. I managed to get one good look up at the ShinRa office buildings again before I left. The windows were open and I could see figures up in what I assumed to be the break room, but I couldn't tell who it was. It didn't really matter, though. I was leaving, and I wasn't going to give myself the chance to feel bad about it.

Seconds later, I was flying down the street, the wind rushing at my face. The movers had already started toward Fort Condor, and that's where I was headed next as well. I felt rather free, like I was flying. I didn't know how long it would last, but I figured I'd enjoy the feeling while I could, as long as I could.

Fort Condor was much quieter than Edge, though over the past few years it had developed rather quickly. In addition to a branch of ShinRa being built, there were several other companies and tons of housing additions that had been added since I had last dropped by. Still, the atmosphere was incredibly different, and there was just an ounce of dread in me that I might end up being bored.

_I'll be fine_, I told myself, pulling into my new apartment complex. _I never needed anyone else before. This time isn't any different_.

^^vv^^vv^^

"…She's gone," Elena said quietly, walking away from the window. "She didn't even say goodbye, either."

"It's not like you can't call her," Tseng pointed out, also departing from the window. "You could even visit her, if you wanted."

"I want to, but will she?" Elena sighed, shaking her head. "Even as long as I've known her, I've never been able to read her. She's always the one to make the first move; that's how she likes it."

"So if she does nothing, nothing is done, huh?" Elena nodded, frowning. "Maybe you should try changing that." Tseng turned to Reno and Rude, who were still standing silently at the window. "Are either of you going to back me up on this or what?"

"Mae does what she wants," Rude stated. "That's just who she is."

"It's true," Reno agreed, his eyes fixed on the road below. "Not saying I like that or anything, but it's totally true."

"She's like a mountain that can't be climbed, or something like that," Elena added, plopping down in a chair. "No matter how far up you go, even if you think you've made it to the top, you're still way off."

"Nice analogy," Rude mumbled, letting out a low laugh.

"Well, it's true, isn't it?"

"Unfortunately…"

"She's also a coward," Reno muttered, walking away from the window at last.

"Speak for yourself," Rude said. "Though I don't disagree with you, either."

"Do you think…" Elena paused, choosing her words carefully. "Do you think Mae will ever transfer back?"

"Not unless we give her a good enough reason to," Rude replied, the only one left standing at the window. He felt himself being watched, but he knew that it was Reno's gaze. Without anything being said, he knew they were thinking along the same lines. Reno was either going to die, or be cured. While the former would push Mae away forever, the latter would probably bring her back.

"We have work to do," Rude said at last, and the four left the break room.

^^vv^^vv^^

"Look, can you just run this over to the copier and make me about ten more?"

"Of course, boss."

"Stop calling me that."

"Y-yes, bo-I mean, uh…"

"Just _go_."

As soon as he left the room, my hand flew to my forehead in frustration. People these days, with so little intelligence…

Seven months had passed quickly. The Fort Condor location was, admittedly, much less involved than the main location in Edge, but there were a lot of upsides as well, most of them involving work.

Somehow, despite being a transfer and someone with only a few years under her belt, I was one of the most capable people in the entire facility. I was also one of the few who had up-to-date licenses and training. The boss of the place, Kazushi, often was gone-and his power fell into my lap, just like that. Soon people were calling me "boss" and other ridiculously unnecessary titles that I won't even bother to list off. And of course, with all the work that had to be done, the figures on my checks increased as well. I spent most of my days there in that building, with little free time other than for sleep, meals, and the occasional venture out into town.

I didn't mind it one bit, though. The town was small and boring, definitely not a good place for young, adventurous people. I could pass the time quickly and efficiently at work, and yet there wouldn't be much to worry about. There was only one thing I would consider calling sketchy about Fort Condor, and it was something I had to be near every day.

Across from the ShinRa office buildings where I worked, there was another set of office buildings with a strikingly different design. In fact, when I first moved in, I figured it was some kind of warehouse or storage center. Kazushi informed me otherwise one afternoon while I was in his office. We had been sitting there, going over paperwork, when it felt like I was being watched. When I told him so, he just let out a light-hearted laugh.

"Oh, that's just the people over at Aragaki Industries, most likely," he said, shaking his head. "They like to watch us."

"What the hell d'ya mean by that?" I snapped. "That's just creepy."

"I prefer to use the term 'flattering' myself, but I know what you mean. You see, they're our rivals. Or, at least, they hope and want and try desperately to be. But we have more success and far more years behind us than they do. Sometimes, they watch us from across the street." Kazushi laughed again as I whipped my head over to the window. Sure enough, a figure was watching us from a large window; the curtains promptly snapped shut. "I don't know _what_ they think that they can gain that way, honestly."

"…Aragaki Industries…huh…"

The name didn't ring any bells, though I'm sure Rufus had probably mentioned them in passing once or twice. Regardless, I never came into contact with people from Aragaki. I could feel them watching us sometimes, but like Kazushi had said, what were they going to see from that far away?


	8. VIII: Letting someone die

VIII: Letting someone die is the same thing as murder

In the ten months that Mae had been gone, Reno had found himself with more free time. Though he had befriended the girl who had replaced Mae, and they got along well, it wasn't the same kind of friendship. But he would've rather jumped from a cliff before admitting he missed her.

Still, he had many afternoons off, and he often spent them wandering around Edge, taking in new sights while he still could. He was now using a cane and had lost a lot of strength from his hand and arm as well. The infection had almost reached his collarbone, and it spread all the way down to his hip bone.

There was still no sign of a cure. What had happened the year previous seemed to be a spontaneous miracle that would never happen again. Neither the doctors nor Reno were hopeful. Everything seemed to be slowly going downhill.

_This must be what it's like getting old, I guess_, Reno thought from time to time.

It was by chance that Cloud saw Reno one day in town. Reno was walking (being unable to use his bike), and Cloud was, unusually enough, walking the opposite direction. The cane caught his attention, and when he asked Reno about, he was surprised to hear the explanation.

"…" Cloud looked away for a moment, thinking to himself. He did not consider Reno a friend, but he was no longer an enemy, either. Would he be able to walk away from him with a guilty conscience if he didn't share everything he knew? "Are you…doing anything important today?"

"Eh? No, not really," Reno replied, scratching the back of his neck with his free hand. "Why d'ya ask?"

"There's…something you should see. You should've seen it a long time ago."

Cloud began to walk away slowly, and he glanced over his shoulder. Reno got the message and began to follow him. He had no idea where Cloud was planning on taking him, but he had absolutely nothing to lose in going.

Cloud drove Reno out of Edge, to the ruins of Midgar. Nobody had been in this area since Sephiroth's most recent except Cloud and Tifa, but Cloud assured Reno it was still safe, and that what they were looking for would most definitely still be there.

Parking his bike in front of an old church, Cloud led the way inside. The pair was greeted by yellow and white flowers, blooming peacefully at the front of the room.

"Any particular reason why we're here, of all places?" Reno asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Last year, this is where I was healed," Cloud replied quietly, his heavy footsteps clunking on the old wood floor. "So were all of those kids. It wasn't the rain that healed Rufus, either."

"Wait, what? What're you saying? You tellin' me there's a cure?"

"There is."

"I don't believe you. There's just no way." Reno shook his head, but he continued to follow Cloud without even realizing it. "If there was one, I would've found it by now."

"Not if you didn't know what you were looking for, trust me."

Cloud led Reno into a room flooded with water.

"You're telling me this is the same water or something?" Reno asked, once again raising an eyebrow. Cloud nodded.

"Normal water evaporates. But this is different," he said quietly. "Get in."

"You expect me to just jump in?"

"What do you have to lose?"

Reno's words halted in his throat. Cloud had a very valid point. At this point, Reno was about to lose his job, his friends, and eventually his life. He had nothing left to lose by getting in some pretty, supposedly magical water.

"If this works, you're gonna make me feel like some kind of grand idiot, I hope you know," Reno said, setting his cane down.

"You'll owe me a drink, and we'll leave it at that," Cloud replied, unable to suppress a smirk. Reno just let out a chuckle of disbelief and slowly slid himself into the water. It was surprisingly warm, even as he walked into the center. That was all Reno initially noticed until he happened to realize that he was actually walking. Silently, he pushed back his sleeve and bandage, revealing his grotesquely diseased hand and arm. He dipped it into the water and watched, stunned, as the disease disappeared as if it were just dirt.

Without any further hesitation, Reno dunked himself into the pool. When he came up, he removed his shirt to find no traces left of the disease.

"…Guess drinks are on me," he said quietly, smirking.

^^vv^^vv^^

It was easy for me to forget about my old life when I was at work. There was a lot to do, and I had to put a hand in for most of it in one way or another. At work, I could pass the hours pretty quickly, and I got paid.

But there was nothing to do with my money in Fort Condor besides pay for food and pay the bills, and the surrounding area wasn't much better. I had run out of things to do within six months of moving there, save for going to the gym and the occasional night out. But when I say occasional, I mean "hardly ever." I had no companions in Fort Condor. At first, the solitude was great, but it got old quickly.

It was starting to get cold again. I had to wear a sweater at home to avoid turning on the heater. I had turned twenty-five, reaching old maid status. Things had changed a lot in my life, but, somehow, I had changed the most.

Yes, somehow, going off on my own didn't help me get stronger. It had the opposite effect. If anything, I had gotten weaker. I craved attention but never said anything. I never tried calling anyone from Edge. I hadn't planned on it from the start.

What scared me was that no one had tried to call _me_. I was totally fine with being chased or having to ignore people, but being ignored was a totally different story. This isolation made me think a lot, and some of those things I had never thought about before. What kind of friend had I been all that time? What kind of person in general?

I don't particularly enjoy people, but being alone made me realize that I needed people, too. As much as I hate to admit that. And I knew the people I needed in my life to make it complete, but that was something impossible. If he wasn't already dead, Reno was dying by that point. There was no time left.

I remember coming home one brisk Thursday (my day off) from getting lunch. To the people back in Edge, I would have been someone unrecognizable. I had my hair down and was wearing a light grey sweater and jeans. No black, no ponytail, and I even had my glasses on. All because I had expected another boring afternoon. Silly me.

The phone rang in my living room, and I made sure to look at the caller ID before answering. I was not a fan of spam callers and the like, but this number was one that I somewhat recognized. It looked extremely familiar, but I couldn't place whose it was. Thinking it might be someone from work calling my home phone instead of my cell, I picked up.

"Hello?" I said, half-bored already.

"It's been a while."

Startled, I had to stop myself from hanging up. I hadn't been expecting Rude's voice on the other line at all. No wonder the number rang a bell…no pun intended.

"How the hell did you get this number?" I asked, breathless with surprise.

"A lot of stalking," he replied, chuckling.

"Why…?" I paused, waiting for his answer, but he seemed to sense that I wanted to say more. Rude is good at that, even over the phone. "I mean, aren't you pissed at me?"

"Yeah, but I've got better things to do," he said. I sighed, a smile appearing on my face in spite of myself. I was glad no one else could see it. "I have to tell you something, Mae."

"Obviously, if you went to this much trouble to get a hold of me." I had long changed my cell number, and yet I had expected people to contact me. Yeah, I'm a brat. "What's up?"

"…You doing anything right now?"

"Nah. I have the day off. Why?" For a second, I wondered if he was going to ask me on a date or something.

"…" Reno was silent for a few seconds, though it felt even longer. As the silence lasted, the realization came to me, and it was all I could do to keep cool.

"Rude? You still there?" I said. I wanted him to be the one to say it.

"…Reno's not…doing so well," he finally answered. The lump in my throat was growing. "I know you've left for your own reasons, but if you want to see him again, now would be the last chance."

^^vv^^vv^^

Rude waited for a few moments, then spoke again.

"Mae?" he said. There was no answer, just silence. He waited a full minute before finally hanging up. "She's either on her way, or passed out," he then announced.

"Ohhh, man, she's gonna kill us," Elena said, laughing.

"It's her own fault," Tseng pointed out, rolling his eyes.

"This is so mean, though. How long til she gets here, d'ya think?"

"Probably a couple of hours at the most."

"With her driving, though? An hour," Reno replied, grinning.

"You're looking forward to this, aren't you?" Elena asked, and the red-head nodded.

"It's about time we brought her back where she belongs, am I right?"

"Then we should get things ready," Rude said with a smirk. The others nodded in agreement, getting up off of the couches and straightening things up. Reno's apartment hadn't been this alive in a while, and soon it would have even more life than before. But first, the plan had to be executed properly if they wanted Mae to stay.

Reno and Rude knew Mae well, even better than Elena. They knew what pissed her off and what she would tolerate as a prank; what they planned fell somewhere in-between, which was what made it such an enticing idea. The results would likely be well worth the wait.


	9. IX: I'm going to hate you forever

IX: I'm going to hate you forever

MEMO: HEY LOOK AT THIS! Haha, now that I have your attention, I would just like to let you know that I will be taking a break from updates until June 25th. I will resume updates of [THREE] at that time until its completion. Thank you!

I felt like I couldn't get there soon enough. I felt like everything was fighting against my return. If this hadn't been my best friend, I would've turned around after the sleet started.

I didn't want it to end like this, with me chasing the past, or maybe not even that. Maybe only a shadow of what used to be. More than anything, I just didn't want to arrive too late.

Through the sleet and traffic and goggles I was wearing, I kept getting blurred pictures of the scenery passing me. Part of it was the speed I was traveling, but I would be a straight up liar if I said I kept dry eyes that whole time.

I was at the city limits of Edge within an hour, but the horrendous traffic kept me from Reno's apartment for another thirty minutes. It was everything I could do to keep myself from screaming at people. Somehow, by the grace of a higher power, I made it to his apartment complex in one piece.

The moment I arrived, I parked and locked my bike and proceeded to run to the stairwell. I still had my helmet and gloves on, and I was so cold that my nose was running, but that was trivial. There wasn't a second to be spared. By the time I reached Reno's room, I was panting for breath and shivering, but I knocked on the door anyway. Actually, more like _pounded _on the door.

Rude answered; I saw him raise an eyebrow at me but I didn't really care. He should've been happy I came in one piece, let alone came at all.

"You all right?" he finally asked me, and I nodded, wiping my nose. I took off my helmet, letting my hair fall down at last, and I peeled the goggles off of my glasses, but the gloves stayed on. It was still cold. Maybe part of it was the dread in me that I had come too late.

"…Reno?" I said the moment I caught my breath. Rude's face fell and I lost it again. "Shit, Rude, shit."

I pushed past him, gritting my teeth. Part of me was, simply put, falling apart at the thought of having eternally lost someone so close to me, especially not being there at the end. But another part of me was, for some reason, trying to deny those feelings. I wanted to hide. I wanted to run. But this was reality. I knew that. So why I was in so much conflict, I wasn't so sure.

^^vv^^vv^^

Had someone asked him, Rude would have immediately admitted to having felt guilty seeing Mae like that. He could tell she was beyond upset. She had started crying as soon as he gave her the silent response. While that wasn't the first time he'd seen her cry, that was the first time he'd seen her that sad. The emotion didn't suit her.

As predicted, Mae ran down the hallway to Reno's room, past the hall closet where Reno had been hiding that whole time. Rude silently followed her, glancing at the crack in the door. He wondered if Reno could see Mae's face from there, or at least hear her start sobbing.

Mae had stopped outside of Reno's empty room, a hand over her mouth. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was holding her stomach, as if she was going to get sick. It was obvious she was doing her best to keep herself under control, but she was obviously failing; Rude's guilt increased.

"Mae…" he began, about to give it away. She shook her head.

"How…?" That was all she could say.

"…I'm sorry," Rude murmured. She was really hurt; there was no denying it. Mae just shook her head and turned away, as if to dismiss his apology. Taking advantage of her openness, Reno quietly crept out of the closet and up to Mae from behind.

"It's not…your fault," she finally said.

"Yeah, more like _yours_," Reno replied, throwing an arm around Mae's shaking shoulders. She jumped, and upon seeing Reno's face, screamed. But it wasn't a happy one.

Before Rude could intervene, Mae had reared back and let a punch fly into Reno's face. It sent him flying back into Rude, and the two fell onto the floor with a loud thud.

"_YOU_!" she shrieked, tears still flowing from her eyes. Reno could see she was angry; he also felt it behind the punch. But there was also genuine surprise, and maybe even a glimmer of happiness behind her icy eyes.

"What about me?" he said, sitting upright. "I'm not bleeding, am I?" He turned to Rude.

"You're about to be," Rude replied, watching as Mae marched over to the duo.

"Hey, be happy!" Reno said, laughing as Mae's nostrils visibly flared. "I'm alive, aren't I?"

"NOT FOR LONG," she roared.

^^vv^^vv^^

I didn't know what I was going to do. I wanted to send Reno flying into next week, as if nothing had changed over the past year. But then I remembered that he had almost died once already, and slowly I lowered my fist. I could feel the scowl on my face grow as Reno stood up and shook my hand forcefully.

"That's better, much better!" he exclaimed.

"I still hate you," I told him, narrowing my eyes. He just laughed, releasing my hand.

"At least I'm alive for you to hate!"

I didn't know what to say to that, because he had a very valid point. He wasn't supposed to be alive, or this freaking happy about it.

"How are you alive?" I asked, frowning. "I thought…"

Reno let out a triumphant laugh, which brought back the urge to punch him in the face.

"It was all Cloud's doing, believe it or not," he answered. "He brought me to a place and now I'm cured, good as new. See?"

He pulled back his shirt sleeve, and the skin there was normal. Hesitantly, I touched it, to see if it was real or covered in makeup or something. It was real. I could hardly believe it.

"He's not lying, Mae," Rude assured me, and I nodded, the scowl fading slowly from my face.

"It just seems a little too good to be true, that's all," I admitted quietly.

"Awww, did I scare you?" Reno said, poking out his lower lip at me like I was some kind of child. Instinctively, I reached out and pulled his lip down sharply. He yelped, and for a moment things seemed to be back in order.

Rude filled me in on the story as Reno coaxed all of our friends out of hiding. Soon the apartment was filled with our co-workers and came to life. It was really as though nothing had changed at all.

"Will you come back to work now?" Elena asked, cutting right to the point. I shrugged.

"I don't see why not, unless he won't hire me back, or he replaced me or something," I replied.

"Well, the latter is already kinda true."

"What?" I raised my eyebrows, truly surprised. Had Rufus already replaced my spot that easily? "With who?"

"See that blonde girl over there?" Elena pointed as subtly as she could to a girl our age who was talking animatedly to Reno. She had admittedly gorgeous blonde hair and seemed to belong more to a modeling agency than an energy company. "Her name's Annya. She's absolutely gorgeous, but also equally whore-ish."

I couldn't help but laugh out loud. Elena rarely used that word with such sincerity.

"You laugh, but it's true. She's a real skank."

"Rude?" I asked. He hesitated, so I knew it had to be true.

^^vv^^vv^^

"So, I heard you replaced me already, huh?"

Mae smirked as Rufus turned around. He wasn't surprised that this conversation was happening so soon. After all, he could tell she hadn't wanted to leave.

"I did, it's true," he replied, leaning against the counter. "What's it to you?"

"Can you put me anywhere else?"

"You want your old job back?"

"Fort Condor is pretty lifeless," Mae admitted, sighing. Rufus let out an amused laugh.

"Well, I'm sure I can make room for you to be on our team again."

Mae's face visibly brightened for a moment, and then she withdrew, putting on her tough face again. She had changed in the past few months, more than Rufus had anticipated. With the direction things were going, life was sure to be interesting.

"That's what I like to hear," Mae said, nodding in approval. "I'll be moving back to Edge, then."

"Lost your reason to stay away, huh?" When Mae didn't answer, Rufus smiled sympathetically.

"Don't act like you understand me," Mae growled under her breath. "It's not like things are all better now or whatever."

"Fine. Either way, I don't really care. I just needed to know if you were coming back or not."

Mae gave him a curious look, but Rufus only smiled with a poker face. She was a key player in all of this; Rufus knew it, and Mae, too, would come to realize it.


End file.
